Method for desulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstock

ABSTRACT

A method of making a hydrodesulfurization catalyst having nickel and molybdenum sulfides deposited on a support material containing mesoporous silica that is optionally modified with zirconium. The method of making the hydrodesulfurization catalyst involves a single-step calcination and reduction procedure. The utilization of the hydrodesulfurization catalyst in treating a hydrocarbon feedstock containing sulfur compounds (e.g. dibenzothiophene, 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene) to produce a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream is also provided.

STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The inventors acknowledge the support provided by King Fand Universityof Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) under the project number DSR NUS15105.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a method of makinghydrodesulfurization catalysts containing nickel and molybdenum sulfidessupported by mesoporous silica, and a process of hydrodesulfurizationusing these catalysts.

Description of the Related Art

The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of thepresently named inventors, to the extent it is described in thisbackground section, as well as aspects of the description which may nototherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neitherexpressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the presentinvention.

The most important source of energy is fossil fuel [M. S. Dresselhaus,I. L. Thomas, Alternative energy technologies, Nature, 414 (2001)332-337; and S. Shafiee, E. Topal, When will fossil fuel reserves bediminished?, Energy policy, 37 (2009) 181-189]. Crude fossil fuel isrefined into light oil such as gasoline and to heavy oil such as jetfuel [B. E. Firth, S. E. Kirk, Methods of refining natural oils, andmethods of producing fuel compositions, US patent applicationpublication No.: 2013/0006012 A1; J. Han, G. S. Forman, A. Elgowainy, H.Cai, M. Wang, V. B. DiVita, A comparative assessment of resourceefficiency in petroleum refining, Fuel, 157 (2015) 292-298; and Y. Shen,X. Xu, P. Li, A novel potential adsorbent for ultra-deep desulfurizationof jet fuels at room temperature, RSC Advances, 2 (2012) 6155-6160]. Themain source of the exhaust pollutants is the sulfur present in crudeoil. The majority of refined oil is used in vehicle combustion engines[F. Liu, Q. Cai, S. Chen, W. Zhou, A comparison of the energyconsumption and carbon emissions for different modes of transportationin open-cut coal mines, International Journal of Mining Science andTechnology, 25 (2015) 261-266] and there is need to ensure that theexhaust is less detrimental to the environment. To achieve this, thefuel must have very low sulfur content. High concentration of sulfurgenerates sulfur oxides during combustion which are poisonous to enginesand the environment [C. Song, Fuel processing for low-temperature andhigh-temperature fuel cells: Challenges, and opportunities forsustainable development in the 21st century, Catalysis today, 77 (2002)17-49; and M. Muzic, K. Sertic-Bionda, Z. Gomzi, Kinetic and statisticalstudies of adsorptive desulfurization of diesel fuel on commercialactivated carbons, Chemical Engineering & Technology, 31 (2008)355-364]. Furthermore, the oxides react with atmospheric moisture andform acid rain that is harmful to vegetation, aquatic, animal and humanlife [G. Bao-Zhu, L. I. U. Ying, C. Huan-Sheng, P. A. N. Xiao-Le, W.Zi-Fa, Spatial source contributions identification of acid rain over theYangtze River Delta using a variety of methods, Atmospheric and OceanicScience Letters, 8 (2015) 397-402; J. Q. Koenig, 22 Sulfur DioxideExposure in Humans, Toxicology of the Nose and Upper Airways, (2016)334; and S. Hosseinkhani Hezave, M. Askary, F. Amini, M. Zahedi,Influence of Air SO₂ Pollution on Antioxidant Systems of AlfalfaInoculated with Rhizobium, Journal of Genetic Resources, 1 (2015) 7-18].Sulfur poisoning of the metal catalyst in the three-way catalytic system(catalytic converter) during octane rating and corrosion of pipes, pumpsand other industrial equipment during the refining processes is of majorconcern [V. C. Srivastava, An evaluation of desulfurization technologiesfor sulfur removal from liquid fuels, Rsc Advances, 2 (2012) 759-783; S.Velu, X. Ma, C. Song, M. Namazian, S. Sethuraman, G. Venkataraman,Desulfurization of JP-8 jet fuel by selective adsorption over a Ni-basedadsorbent for micro solid oxide fuel cells, Energy & Fuels, 19 (2005)1116-1125; and T. Fukunaga, H. Katsuno, H. Matsumoto, O. Takahashi, Y.Akai, Development of kerosene fuel processing system for PEFC, CatalysisToday, 84 (2003) 197-200]. Therefore, desulfurization of crude oil is animportant economic and environmental concern of petroleum industries.

The sulfur content threshold in transportation fuels is currently set at10 ppm by US and EU regulation bodies. To prevent poisoning of anodecatalyst, fuels with essentially no sulfur content are required for fuelcell applications [C. Song, An overview of new approaches to deepdesulfurization for ultra-clean gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel,Catalysis today, 86 (2003) 211-263].

Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is an industrially applicable desulfurizationapproach to reduce sulfur concentration in crude oil feed. Recentresearch efforts in HDS have been focused on deep desulfurization ofcrude oil, especially for desulfurization of refractory sulfur compoundsin transportation fuels. However, there is a need to improve thecatalytic performance of HDS catalysts including more effectivedispersion of active species. Different strategies to disperse activephases for enhanced catalytic performance have been reported. Thesestrategies include modifying the catalyst support via utilization ofcomplexing agents, incorporation of heteroatoms (e.g. Zr, Ti, Al, Nb) ororganic functional groups, and replacement of current impregnationmethod with other synthesis approaches [M. Sun, D. Nicosia, R. Prins,The effects of fluorine, phosphate and chelating agents on hydrotreatingcatalysts and catalysis, Catalysis Today, 86 (2003) 173-189; S. Badoga,A. K. Dalai, J. Adjaye, Y. Hu, Combined effects of EDTA and heteroatoms(Ti, Zr, and Al) on catalytic activity of SBA-15 supported NiMo catalystfor hydrotreating of heavy gas oil, Industrial & Engineering ChemistryResearch, 53 (2014) 2137-2156; J. Escobar, M. C. Barrera, J. A. Toledo,M. A. Cortés-Jácome, C. Angeles-Chávez, S. Núñez, V. Santes, E. Gómez,L. Díaz, E. Romero, Effect of ethyleneglycol addition on the propertiesof P-doped NiMo/Al₂O₃HDS catalysts: Part I. Materials preparation andcharacterization, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 88 (2009) 564-575;and S. A. Ganiyu, K. Alhooshani, S. A. Ali, Single-pot synthesis ofTi-SBA-15-NiMo hydrodesulfurization catalysts: Role of calcinationtemperature on dispersion and activity, Applied Catalysis B:Environmental, 203 (2017) 428-441, each incorporated herein by referencein their entirety].

A catalyst support is a critical component because it can influence thecatalytic functionalities of the active metal component throughdispersion and/or metal-support interactions [G. M. Dhar, B. N.Srinivas, M. S. Rana, M. Kumar, S. K. Maity, Mixed oxide supportedhydrodesulfurization catalysts—a review, Catalysis Today, 86 (2003)45-60; M. S. Rana, S. K. Maity, J. Ancheyta, G. M. Dhar, T. S. R. P.Rao, MoCo(Ni)/ZrO₂—SiO₂ hydrotreating catalysts: physico-chemicalcharacterization and activities studies, Applied Catalysis A: General,268 (2004) 89-97; and M. Breysse, J. L. Portefaix, M. Vrinat, Supporteffects on hydrotreating catalysts, Catalysis today, 10 (1991) 489-505].Despite high catalytic activities, unsupported catalysts such as NEBULAare becoming less popular for industrial applications due to toxicityand expense of hydroprocessing operations [S. A. Ganiyu, K. Alhooshani,S. A. Ali, Single-pot synthesis of Ti-SBA-15-NiMo hydrodesulfurizationcatalysts: Role of calcination temperature on dispersion and activity,Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 203 (2017) 428-441]. Catalystsupports containing oxides such as silica [F. E. Massoth, G. Muralidhar,J. Shabtai, Catalytic functionalities of supported sulfides: II. Effectof support on Mo dispersion, Journal of Catalysis, 85 (1984) 53-62,incorporated herein by reference in its entirety], alumina [T. Isoda, S.Nagao, X. Ma, Y. Korai, I. Mochida, Hydrodesulfurization pathway of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene through isomerization over Y-zeolitecontaining CoMo/Al₂O₃ catalyst, Energy & fuels, 10 (1996) 1078-1082,incorporated herein by reference in its entirety], titania [S. Inoue, A.Muto, H. Kudou, T. Ono, Preparation of novel titania support by applyingthe multi-gelation method for ultra-deep HDS of diesel oil, AppliedCatalysis A: General, 269 (2004) 7-12, incorporated herein by referencein its entirety], magnesium oxide [K. V. R. Chary, H. Ramakrishna, K. S.R. Rao, G. M. Dhar, P. K. Rao, Hydrodesulfurization on MoS₂/MgO,Catalysis letters, 10 (1991) 27-33, incorporated herein by reference inits entirety], zirconium oxide [P. Afanasiev, M. Cattenot, C. Geantet,N. Matsubayashi, K. Sato, S. Shimada, (Ni) W/ZrO₂ hydrotreatingcatalysts prepared in molten salts, Applied Catalysis A: General, 237(2002) 227-237, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety], andmixed oxides [S. Damyanova, L. Petrov, M. A. Centeno, P. Grange,Characterization of molybdenum hydrodesulfurization catalysts supportedon ZrO₂—Al₂O₃ and ZrO₂—SiO₂ carriers, Applied Catalysis A: General, 224(2002) 271-284; and M. P. Borque, A. Lopez-Agudo, E. Olgum, M. Vrinat,L. Cedeno, J. Ramírez, Catalytic activities of Co (Ni) Mo/TiO₂—Al₂O₃catalysts in gasoil and thiophene HDS and pyridine HDN: Effect of theTiO₂—Al₂O₃ composition, Applied Catalysis A: General, 180 (1999) 53-61,each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety] have beenreported.

γ-Al₂O₃ has been widely applied as a support material for hydrotreatingcatalysts because of its good mechanical and morphological properties,more effective dispersion of active metals, as well as low cost.However, strong metal-support interactions (SMSI) are observed betweenγ-Al₂O₃ and many active metals including Mo and Ni [O. Y. Gutiérrez, F.Perez, G. A. Fuentes, X. Bokhimi, T. Klimova, Deep HDS overNiMo/Zr-SBA-15 catalysts with varying MoO₃ loading, Catalysis Today, 130(2008) 292-301, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].Commercial sulfide Co(Ni)Mo(W)/alumina catalysts lack the capacity toachieve deep HDS of fuel feedstocks, therefore alternative HDS catalyststhat are stable and catalytically efficient are needed.

In view of the forgoing, one objective of the present invention is toprovide a method of producing a hydrodesulfurization catalyst havingnickel and molybdenum sulfides supported by mesoporous silica that isoptionally modified by zirconium. Another objective of the presentdisclosure is to provide a process of desulfurizing a hydrocarbonfeedstock catalyzed by the hydrodesulfurization catalyst.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to a methodof producing a NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst containing nickelsulfide and molybdenum sulfide disposed on a support material comprisinga mesoporous silica. The method involves the steps of i) mixing a silicasource and an aqueous solution comprising a structural directingsurfactant, an acid, and a molybdenum precursor to form a first mixture,ii) hydrothermally treating the first mixture to form a first driedmass, iii) mixing a solution comprising a nickel precursor and the firstdried mass to form a second mixture, iv) drying the second mixture toform a second dried mass, v) calcining the second dried mass in anatmosphere comprising a reducing agent to form a calcined and reducedcatalyst, and vi) sulfiding the calcined and reduced catalyst with asulfide-containing solution thereby forming the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst, wherein the first dried mass is notcalcined.

In one embodiment, the first mixture further comprises a zirconiumsource, and the support material comprises a zirconium modifiedmesoporous silica.

In one embodiment, the calcining is performed at a temperature of300-600° C. for 0.5-8 hours.

In one embodiment, the sulfiding is performed at a temperature of250-500° C. for 1-10 hours.

In one embodiment, the reducing agent is present in an amount of 5-20%by volume relative to a total volume of the atmosphere.

In one embodiment, the reducing agent is H₂.

In one embodiment, the sulfide-containing solution comprises CS₂.

In one embodiment, the silica source is tetraethoxysilane, and thestructural directing surfactant is P123.

In one embodiment, the mesoporous silica is SBA-15.

In one embodiment, the zirconium source is zirconium(IV) isopropoxide.

In one embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Mocontent in a range of 8-20% by weight and a Ni content in a range of1-6% by weight, each relative to a total weight of the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst.

In one embodiment, the support material has a Si:Zr weight ratio of 5:1to 20:1.

In one embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a BETsurface area of 350-450 m²/g.

In one embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a totalpore volume of 0.52-0.8 cm³/g, and an average pore size of 4-7 nm.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a methodfor desulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a sulfur-containingcompound. The method involves the steps of contacting the hydrocarbonfeedstock with a NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence ofH₂ gas to convert at least a portion of the sulfur-containing compoundinto a mixture of H₂S and a desulfurized product, and removing H₂S fromthe mixture thereby forming a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream, whereini) the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst contains nickel sulfide andmolybdenum sulfide disposed on a support material comprising a zirconiummodified mesoporous silica with a Si:Zr weight ratio of 5:1 to 20:1, ii)the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Mo content in a range of8-20% by weight and a Ni content in a range of 1-6% by weight, eachrelative to a total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst,and iii) the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a BET surface areaof 350-450 m²/g, a total pore volume of 0.52-0.8 cm³/g, and an averagepore size of 4-7 nm.

In one embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock is contacted with the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst at a temperature of 200-500° C. and apressure of 2-10 MPa for 0.1-10 hours.

In one embodiment, the sulfur-containing compound is present in thehydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 0.01-10% by weight relativeto a total weight of the hydrocarbon feedstock.

In one embodiment, the sulfur-containing compound is at least oneselected from the group consisting of a sulfide, a disulfide, athiophene, a benzothiophene, and a dibenzothiophene.

In one embodiment, the sulfur-containing compound is dibenzothiophene,4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, or both.

In one embodiment, the sulfur content of the desulfurized hydrocarbonstream is 50-99% by weight less than that of the hydrocarbon feedstock.

The foregoing paragraphs have been provided by way of generalintroduction, and are not intended to limit the scope of the followingclaims. The described embodiments, together with further advantages,will be best understood by reference to the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the disclosure and many of the attendantadvantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A is an overlay of N₂ physiosorption isotherms of NiMoS catalystsSMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively (refer to Example 2 for theabbreviation key).

FIG. 1B is a graph showing pore size distributions of NiMoS catalystsSMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively.

FIG. 2A is an overlay of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of catalystsSMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively, measured prior to thesulfiding step.

FIG. 2B is an overlay of XRD patterns of NiMoS catalysts SMN, ZrSMN,SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively.

FIG. 3A is an overlay of Raman spectra of catalysts SMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R,and ZrSMN-R, respectively, measured prior to the sulfiding step.

FIG. 3B is an overlay of Raman spectra of NiMoS catalysts SMN, ZrSMN,SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively.

FIG. 4 is an overlay of temperature programmed desorption (TPD) by NH₃profiles of catalysts SMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively,measured prior to the sulfiding step.

FIG. 5 is an overlay of FTIR pyridine adsorption profiles of catalystsSMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively, measured prior to thesulfiding step.

FIG. 6 is an overlay of UV-vis diffusion reflectance spectra (DRS) ofNiMoS catalysts SMN, ZrSMN, SMN-R, and ZrSMN-R, respectively.

FIG. 7A is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of NiMoS catalystSMN.

FIG. 7B is a SEM image of NiMoS catalyst SMN-R.

FIG. 7C is a SEM image of NiMoS catalyst Zr-SMN.

FIG. 7D is a SEM image of NiMoS catalyst Zr-SMN-R.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some,but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown.

As used herein, the words “a” and “an” and the like carry the meaning of“one or more”. Within the description of this disclosure, where anumerical limit or range is stated, the endpoints are included unlessstated otherwise. Also, all values and subranges within a numericallimit or range are specifically included as if explicitly written out.

As used herein, “compound” and “precursor” are intended to refer to achemical entity, whether as a solid, liquid, or gas, and whether in acrude mixture or isolated and purified.

The present disclosure includes all hydration states of a given salt orformula, unless otherwise noted. For example, nickel(II) acetateincludes anhydrous Ni(OCOCH₃)₂, tetrahydrate Ni(OCOCH₃)₂.4H₂O, and anyother hydrated forms or mixtures. Ammonium heptamolybdate(VI) includesanhydrous (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄, and hydrated forms such as ammoniumheptamolybdate tetrahydrate (NH₄)₆Mo₇O₂₄.4H₂O.

The present disclosure is intended to include all isotopes of atomsoccurring in the present compounds. Isotopes include those atoms havingthe same atomic number but different mass numbers. By way of generalexample, and without limitation, isotopes of hydrogen include deuteriumand tritium, isotopes of carbon include ¹²C, ¹³C, and ¹⁴C, isotopes ofoxygen include ¹⁶O, ¹⁷O, and ¹⁸O, isotopes of nickel include ⁵⁸Ni,⁶⁰⁻⁶²Ni, and ⁶⁴Ni, and isotopes of molybdenum include ⁹²Mo, ⁹⁴⁻⁹⁸Mo, and¹⁰⁰Mo. Isotopically labeled compounds of the disclosure can generally beprepared by conventional techniques known to those skilled in the art orby processes and methods analogous to those described herein, using anappropriate isotopically labeled reagent in place of the non-labeledreagent otherwise employed.

A first aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method ofproducing a NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst containing nickelsulfide and molybdenum sulfide disposed on a support material comprisinga mesoporous silica. The method involves the steps of i) mixing a silicasource and an aqueous solution comprising a structural directingsurfactant, an acid, and a molybdenum precursor to form a first mixture,ii) hydrothermally treating the first mixture to form a first driedmass, iii) mixing a solution comprising a nickel precursor and the firstdried mass to form a second mixture, iv) drying the second mixture toform a second dried mass, v) calcining the second dried mass in anatmosphere comprising a reducing agent to form a calcined and reducedcatalyst, and vi) sulfiding the calcined and reduced catalyst with asulfide-containing solution thereby forming the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst, wherein the first dried mass is notcalcined.

In one or more embodiments, the silica source is a tetraalkylorthosilicate. Exemplary tetraalkyl orthosilicates include, but are notlimited to, tetraethyl orthosilicate, tetramethyl orthosilicate,tetrapropyl orthosilicate, and tetrabutyl orthosilicate. In a preferredembodiment, the silica source is tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS).

In one or more embodiments, the structural directing surfactant is anonionic block copolymer. A block copolymer is a type of copolymer madeup of blocks of different polymerized monomers. In a block copolymer, aportion of the macromolecule comprising many constitutional units has atleast one feature which is not present in the adjacent portions. Blockcopolymers comprise two or more homopolymer and/or homooligomer subunitslinked by covalent bonds. The union of the homopolymer subunits mayrequire an intermediate non-repeating subunit, known as a junctionblock. Block copolymers with two or three distinct blocks are calleddiblock copolymers and triblock copolymers respectively, tetrablocks,and multiblocks, etc. may also be fabricated. In stereoblock copolymers,a special structure may be formed from one monomer where thedistinguishing feature is the tacticity of each block. The structuraldirecting surfactant may be a block copolymer, a stereoblock copolymer,or mixtures thereof.

In one embodiment, the structural directing surfactant is a poloxamer.Poloxamers are nonionic triblock copolymers composed of a centralhydrophobic chain of polyoxypropylene (poly(propylene oxide), or PPO)flanked by two hydrophilic chains of polyoxyethylene (poly(ethyleneoxide), or PEO). Because the lengths of the polymer blocks may becustomized, many different poloxamers that have slightly differentproperties exist. For the generic term poloxamer, these copolymers arecommonly named with the letter P (for poloxamer) followed by threedigits: the first two digits multiplied by 100 give the approximatemolecular mass of the polyoxypropylene core in g/mol, and the last digitmultiplied by 10 gives the percentage polyoxyethylene content. In oneembodiment, the structural directing surfactant is P123 poloxamer (i.e.P123), which is a symmetric triblock copolymer comprising poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO) and poly(propylene oxide) (PPO) in an alternating linearfashion, PEO—PPO-PEO. The unique characteristic of PPO block, which ishydrophobic at temperatures above 288 K and is soluble in water attemperatures below 288 K, leads to the formation of micelles comprisingPEO—PPO-PEO triblock copolymers. The nominal chemical formula of P123 isHO(CH₂CH₂O)₂₀(CH₂CH(CH₃)O)₇₀(CH₂CH₂O)₂₀H, which corresponds to amolecular weight of around 5,800 g/mol. P123 poloxamer may be known bythe trade name Pluronic® P-123.

In one or more embodiment, the molybdenum precursor is a Mo(VI) salt.Exemplary Mo(VI) salts include, but are not limited to, ammoniumheptamolybdate(VI), ammonium heptamolybdate(VI) tetrahydrate, ammoniummolybdate(VI), ammonium phosphomolybdate, ammonium tetrathiomolybdate,sodium molybdate(VI), lithium molybdate(VI), molybdenum(VI) dichloridedioxide, and mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, a molybdenum salthaving a different oxidation state, such as +2 (e.g. molybdenum(II)carboxylates), +3 (e.g. molybdenum(III) chloride), +4 (e.g.molybdenum(IV) carbonate), and +5 (e.g. molybdenum(V) chloride), may beused in addition to or in lieu of the Mo(VI) salt. Alternatively, amolybdenum acid, a molybdenum base may be used in addition to or in lieuof the Mo(VI) salt. In a preferred embodiment, the molybdenum precursorused herein is ammonium heptamolybdate(VI) tetrahydrate.

The silica source, the structural directing surfactant, and themolybdenum precursor may be mixed with an aqueous solution comprising anacid to form a first mixture. The acid may be hydrochloric acid, formicacid, benzoic acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid, hydrobromic acid,hydroiodic acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, and/orperchloric acid or some other acid. In a preferred embodiment, the acidis hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid,and/or perchloric acid. Most preferably the acid is hydrochloric acid(HCl). The aqueous solution may comprise 3-15 wt %, preferably 5-10 wt%, more preferably 6-8 wt % of the acid relative to the total weight ofthe aqueous solution, with the remaining weight percentage comprisingwater, preferably deionized or distilled water.

In one or more embodiments, the first mixture further comprises azirconium source. Suitable zirconium sources include, but are notlimited to, zirconium(IV) isopropoxide, zirconium(IV) propoxide,zirconium(IV) ethoxide, zirconium(IV) acetate hydroxide, zirconium(IV)2-ethylhexanoate, zirconium(IV) butoxide, zirconium(IV) tert-butoxide,zirconium(IV) dibutoxide(bis-2,4-pentanedionate), and mixtures thereof.In a preferred embodiment, the zirconium source is zirconium(IV)isopropoxide. Most preferably, the zirconium(IV) isopropoxide is a1-propanol solution of zirconium(IV) isopropoxide which contains about70 wt. % of zirconium(IV) isopropoxide relative to a total weight of thesolution.

Prior to the mixing step, the silica source, the structural directingsurfactant, the acid, and optionally the zirconium source may becombined in a solvent comprising water to form a siliceous mixture,which is stirred for 2-36 hours, preferably 5-30 hours, preferably 10-20hours, or about 16 hours, and then mixed with the molybdenum precursorfor 0.5-8 hours, preferably 1-6 hours, preferably 2-5 hours, or about 3hours to form the first mixture. In an alternative embodiment, theaforementioned reagents (i.e. the silica source, the structuraldirecting surfactant, the acid, the molybdenum precursor, and optionallythe zirconium source) are mixed in a solvent comprising water for 2-44hours, 5-36 hours, or 10-20 hours to form the first mixture.

Mixings may occur via stirring, shaking, swirling, sonicating, blending,or by otherwise agitating a mixture. In one embodiment, the mixture isstirred by a magnetic stirrer or an overhead stirrer. In anotherembodiment, the mixture is left to stand (i.e. not stirred).Alternatively, the mixture is subjected to ultrasonication. Theultrasonication may be performed using an ultrasonic bath or anultrasonic probe.

The first mixture may comprise the aqueous solution at a weightpercentage of 80-97 wt %, preferably 85-95 wt %, more preferably 88-92wt % relative to a total weight of the first mixture. The first mixturemay comprise the structural directing surfactant at a weight percentageof 0.5-5 wt %, preferably 1-4 wt %, more preferably 2-3 wt % relative toa total weight of the first mixture. The silica source and the zirconiumsource may have a combined weight that is 4-11 wt %, preferably 6-9 wt%, more preferably 7-9 wt % of the total weight of the first mixture.More specifically, the silica source may be present in the first mixtureat a weight percentage of 3-10 wt %, preferably 4-8 wt %, morepreferably 5-7 wt % relative to a total weight of the first mixture. Thefirst mixture may have a Si:Zr weight ratio of 5:1 to 20:1, preferably7:1 to 15:1, more preferably 9:1 to 12:1, or about 10:1. In at least oneembodiment, the first mixture is devoid of a nickel precursor. In arelated embodiment, the nickel precursor is added to a mixturecontaining a first dried mass described hereinafter (i.e. afterhydrothermal treatment of the first mixture).

The first mixture may be hydrothermally treated to form a first driedmass. In one embodiment, the first mixture is hydrothermally treated viaheating in an autoclave at 50-120° C., preferably 60-110° C., morepreferably 70-100° C., or about 80° C. for 6-48 hours, preferably 12-36hours, more preferably 18-24 hours to produce a first mass comprisingmesoporous silica and/or zirconium modified mesoporous silica if thezirconium source is present in the first mixture.

An external heat source, such as an oven, a heating mantle, a waterbath, or an oil bath, may be employed to dry mixtures (e.g. first mass,second mass) of the present disclosure. Alternatively, mixtures of thepresent disclosure may be air dried. The first mass may be dried, forinstance, in an oven at a temperature of 80-120° C., preferably 85-110°C., more preferably 90-105° C., or about 100° C. for 3-36 hours,preferably 6-24 hours, or about 12 hours to form a first dried mass. Inone embodiment, the first mass is dried via heating in air.Alternatively, the first mass is dried in oxygen-enriched air, an inertgas, or a vacuum. In preferred embodiments, the first mass is dried at atemperature below 250° C., preferably at a temperature below 200° C.,more preferably at a temperature below 150° C.

The first dried mass may be mixed with a solution comprising a nickelprecursor thereby forming a second mixture. The nickel precursor may bea Ni(II) salt. Exemplary suitable Ni(II) salts include, but are notlimited to, nickel(II) acetate, nickel(II) acetate tetrahydrate,nickel(II) acetylacetonate, nickel(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate,nickel(II) octanoate, ammonium nickel(II) sulfate, nickel(II) chloride,nickel(II) bromide, nickel(II) fluoride, nickel(II) iodide, nickel(II)carbonate, nickel(II) hydroxide, nickel(II) nitrate, nickel(II) nitratehexahydrate, nickel(II) perchlorate, nickel(II) sulfate, nickel(II)sulfamate, and mixtures thereof. In certain embodiments, a nickel salthaving a different oxidation state, such as +1, +3, +4, may be used inaddition to or in lieu of the Ni(II) salt. In a preferred embodiment,the nickel precursor used herein in nickel(II) nitrate hexahydrate.

The first dried mass and the nickel precursor may be mixed in thepresence of a solvent, preferably water, an alcohol such as methanol andethanol, or a mixture thereof to form a second mixture. In oneembodiment, the second mixture may have a Mo:Ni weight ratio of 2:1 to9:1, preferably 3:1 to 7:1, more preferably 4:1 to 5:1, or about 13:3.

The second mixture may be dried at a temperature of 40-90° C.,preferably 50-80° C., more preferably 60-70° C. for 3-15 hours,preferably 6-12 hours, preferably 8-10 hours to form a second driedmass. In preferred embodiments, the second mixture is dried at atemperature below 250° C., preferably at a temperature below 200° C.,more preferably at a temperature below 150° C. In one embodiment, thesecond mixture is dried via heating in air. Alternatively, the secondmixture is dried in oxygen-enriched air, an inert gas, or a vacuum.

The second dried mass may be calcined in an atmosphere containing areducing agent to form a calcined and reduced catalyst, thus a reductionstep occurs simultaneously with the calcination step of the presentdisclosure. Performing the calcination and reduction procedures on thesecond dried mass in a single step (i.e. single-step calcination andreduction) may eliminate the number of separation and purificationsteps, reducing operation time, improving product yield, and loweringpreparation cost.

In one embodiment, the reducing agent present in the atmosphere ishydrogen gas (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), and/or ammonia gas. In apreferred embodiment, the reducing agent is H₂. The atmosphere maycontain 5-20%, preferably 8-18%, more preferably 10-15% by volume of thereducing agent (e.g. H₂) diluted in nitrogen, helium, and/or argonrelative to a total volume of the atmosphere. The atmosphere containingthe reducing agent (e.g. H₂ gas) may stay stagnant over the second driedmass. Alternatively, the atmosphere containing the reducing agent (e.g.H₂ gas) is passed through the second dried mass. In one embodiment, theatmosphere containing the reducing agent (e.g. H₂ gas) is passed throughthe second dried mass at a flow rate of 20-500 mL/min, 40-250 mL/min,80-150 mL/min, or about 100 mL/min.

Preferably, the second dried mass is calcined in the atmospherecontaining H₂ gas at a temperature in a range of 300-600° C., preferably325-500° C., preferably 350-450° C., or about 400° C. for 0.5-8 hours,preferably 1-6 hours, preferably 2-4 hours, or about 3 hours to form acalcined and reduced catalyst. Calcination can be carried out withinshaft furnaces, rotary kilns, multiple hearth furnaces, and/or fluidizedbed reactors. It is worth noting that the previously mentioned firstdried mass is not calcined (i.e. being heated at a temperature of 300°C. or above).

The calcined and reduced catalyst may be sulfided with asulfide-containing solution, thereby forming the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst. Preferably, the calcined and reducedcatalyst is sulfided with a sulfide-containing solution at a temperaturein a range of 250-500° C., preferably 300-450° C., or about 350° C. for1-10 hours, 2-8 hours, 3-6 hours, or about 4 hours. Thesulfide-containing solution used herein may include carbon disulfide(CS₂), and may further include dimethyl disulfide, ethylene sulfide,trimethylene sulfide, propylene sulfide, and bis(methylthio)methane.This sulfiding step may convert active catalyst materials in oxide formto their corresponding sulfide form, which may be catalytically moreactive than the oxide form.

Since the discovery of M41S by Mobil scientists in 1992, mesoporousmolecular sieves with large surface area, good mechanical property andthermal stability, and ordered pore structures have attracted muchattention [C. T. Kresge, M. E. Leonowicz, W. J. Roth, J. C. Vartuli, J.S. Beck, Ordered mesoporous molecular sieves synthesized by aliquid-crystal template mechanism, nature, 359 (1992) 710-712; and J. S.Beck, J. C. Vartuli, W. J. Roth, M. E. Leonowicz, C. T. Kresge, K. D.Schmitt, C. T. W. Chu, D. H. Olson, E. W. Sheppard, S. B. McCullen, Anew family of mesoporous molecular sieves prepared with liquid crystaltemplates, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 114 (1992)10834-10843]. These mesoporous materials have been adopted for differentapplications including separation, adsorption, sensing, and catalysis[W.-H. Zhang, J. Lu, B. Han, M. Li, J. Xiu, P. Ying, C. Li, Directsynthesis and characterization of titanium-substituted mesoporousmolecular sieve SBA-15, Chemistry of Materials, 14 (2002) 3413-3421; A.M. Liu, K. Hidajat, S. Kawi, D. Y. Zhao, A new class of hybridmesoporous materials with functionalized organic monolayers forselective adsorption of heavy metal ions, Chemical Communications,(2000) 1145-1146; and S. J. Bae, S.-W. Kim, T. Hyeon, B. M. Kim, Newchiral heterogeneous catalysts based on mesoporous silica: asymmetricdiethylzinc addition to benzaldehyde, Chemical Communications, (2000)31-32, each incorporated herein by reference in their entiret]. Inrecent years, mesoporous materials with a large surface area such asMCM-41, KIT-6, FDU, HMS, and SBA-15 have been explored as support forhydrotreating catalysts [A. Wang, Y. Wang, T. Kabe, Y. Chen, A.Ishihara, W. Qian, Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene oversiliceous MCM-41-supported catalysts: I. Sulfided Co—Mo catalysts,Journal of Catalysis, 199 (2001) 19-29; T. A. Zepeda, T. Halachev, B.Pawelec, R. Nava, T. Klimova, G. A. Fuentes, J. L. G. Fierro,Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophene over CoMo/HMS and CoMo/Ti-HMScatalysts, Catalysis Communications, 7 (2006) 33-41; and G. M. Dhar, G.M. Kumaran, M. Kumar, K. S. Rawat, L. D. Sharma, B. D. Raju, K. S. R.Rao, Physico-chemical characterization and catalysis on SBA-15 supportedmolybdenum hydrotreating catalysts, Catalysis Today, 99 (2005) 309-314,each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety]. Currentstudies on viability of SBA-15 as catalyst support for NiMohydrotreating catalyst for hydrodesulfurization of model fuel have shownpromising results.

Compared to the strong interaction between alumina and active metalspecies, the metal-support interaction between mesoporous silica supportand metal species is relatively weak. As a result, modification on thesilica support may be necessary to achieve a sufficient interaction andmaintain desirable physical and morphological properties. Complexingagents, phosphide additives, and heteroatom elements have been employedto explore highly dispersed HDS catalysts for ultra-deep desulfurization[M. Sun, D. Nicosia, R. Prins, The effects of fluorine, phosphate andchelating agents on hydrotreating catalysts and catalysis, CatalysisToday, 86 (2003) 173-189; and P. Rayo, J. Ramírez, M. S. Rana, J.Ancheyta, A. Aguilar-Elguézabal, Effect of the incorporation of Al, Ti,and Zr on the cracking and hydrodesulfurization activity of NiMo/SBA-15catalysts, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48 (2008)1242-1248, each incorporated herein by reference in their entirety].

In one or more embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalystprepared by the method of the first aspect has nickel sulfide andmolybdenum sulfide disposed on a support material. In a preferredembodiment, the support material comprises a mesoporous silica. A“mesoporous support” refers to a porous support material with largestpore diameters ranging from about 2-50 nm, preferably 3-45 nm,preferably 4-40 nm, preferably 5-25 nm. As used herein, “mesoporoussilica” refers to a mesoporous support comprising silica (SiO₂).Non-limiting examples of mesoporous silica include MCM-48, MCM-41,MCM-18, SBA-11, SBA-12, SBA-15, and SBA-16. In a preferred embodiment,the mesoporous silica is SBA-15.

Recently, the effect of incorporating heteroatoms such as Ti, Zr, and Alinto the framework of the SBA-15 has been studied [L. Y. Lizama, T. E.Klimova, SBA-15 modified with Al, Ti, or Zr as supports for highlyactive NiW catalysts for HDS, Journal of materials science, 44 (2009)6617, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety]. Theheteroatoms, which are Lewis acids, can provide acid sites and increasemetal-support interactions. Several approaches for incorporation of theheteroatoms into SBA-15 have also been studied [P. Rayo, J. Ramírez, M.S. Rana, J. Ancheyta, A. Aguilar-Elguézabal, Effect of the incorporationof Al, Ti, and Zr on the cracking and hydrodesulfurization activity ofNiMo/SBA-15 catalysts, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48(2008) 1242-1248; P. Biswas, P. Narayanasarma, C. M. Kotikalapudi, A. K.Dalai, J. Adjaye, Characterization and activity of ZrO₂ doped SBA-15supported NiMo catalysts for HDS and HDN of bitumen derived heavy gasoil, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 50 (2011) 7882-7895;and O. Y. Gutiérrez, G. A. Fuentes, C. Salcedo, T. Klimova, SBA-15supports modified by Ti and Zr grafting for NiMo hydrodesulfurizationcatalysts, Catalysis Today, 116 (2006) 485-497, each incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety]. Recently, Ganiyu et al. reported asingle-pot procedure to prepare catalysts having NiMo supported ontitanium-modified mesoporous SBA-15 [S. A. Ganiyu, K. Alhooshani, S. A.Ali, Single-pot synthesis of Ti-SBA-15-NiMo hydrodesulfurizationcatalysts: Role of calcination temperature on dispersion and activity,Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 203 (2017) 428-441, incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety]. These catalysts demonstratedgreater catalytic activity than those prepared by the conventionalco-impregnation approach. This single-pot procedure offered a pragmaticapproach for achieving efficient catalyst performance at low cost.

Zr-based SBA-15 NiMo and CoMo HDS catalysts have been developed usingvarious synthesis methods [O. Y. Gutiérrez, F. Perez, G. A. Fuentes, X.Bokhimi, T. Klimova, Deep HDS over NiMo/Zr-SBA-15 catalysts with varyingMoO₃ loading, Catalysis Today, 130 (2008) 292-301; P. Biswas, P.Narayanasarma, C. M. Kotikalapudi, A. K. Dalai, J. Adjaye,Characterization and activity of ZrO₂ doped SBA-15 supported NiMocatalysts for HDS and HDN of bitumen derived heavy gas oil, Industrial &Engineering Chemistry Research, 50 (2011) 7882-7895; O. Y. Gutiérrez, G.A. Fuentes, C. Salcedo, T. Klimova, SBA-15 supports modified by Ti andZr grafting for NiMo hydrodesulfurization catalysts, Catalysis Today,116 (2006) 485-497; and S. Garg, K. Soni, G. M. Kumaran, M. Kumar, J. K.Gupta, L. D. Sharma, G. M. Dhar, Effect of Zr-SBA-15 support oncatalytic functionalities of Mo, CoMo, NiMo hydrotreating catalysts,Catalysis Today, 130 (2008) 302-308, each incorporated herein byreference in their entirety]. Zr can be incorporated into mesoporousSBA-15 silica support by grafting, direct or post synthesis method,followed by impregnation of Ni(Co)Mo active species. However, theseapproaches require multiple and repetitive steps of drying andcalcination before reduction of metal oxide(s) to active form.

In a preferred embodiment, the support material of the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst comprises a zirconium modified mesoporoussilica, which is achieved by adding the zirconium source to the firstmixture as previously described. Preferably, zirconium is present in theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in oxide forms (e.g. ZrO₂). Thesupport material comprising the zirconium modified mesoporous silica mayhave a Si:Zr weight ratio of 5:1 to 20:1, preferably 7:1 to 15:1, morepreferably 9:1 to 12:1, or about 10:1.

The Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) theory (S. Brunauer, P. H. Emmett, E.Teller, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1938, 60, 309-319, incorporated herein byreference) aims to explain the physical adsorption of gas molecules on asolid surface and serves as the basis for an important analysistechnique for the measurement of a specific surface area of a material.Specific surface area is a property of solids which is the total surfacearea of a material per unit of mass, solid or bulk volume, or crosssectional area. In most embodiments, pore size (i. e. pore diameter),total pore volume, and BET surface area are measured by gas adsorptionanalysis, preferably N₂ adsorption analysis (e.g. N₂ adsorptionisotherms).

In one embodiment, the support material is mesoporous and has porechannels that are regularly arranged. For example, the mesoporoussupport material is in the form of a honeycomb-like structure havingpore channels parallel or substantially parallel to each other within atwo-dimensional hexagon (e.g. SBA-15). Alternatively, other mesoporoussilica structures of the SBA series such as SBA-11 having a cubicstructure, SBA-12 having a three-dimensional hexagonal structure, andSBA-16 having a cubic in cage-like structure may be used as themesoporous support material. In one embodiment, the mesoporous supportmaterial is in the form of SBA-15, and the mesoporous support materialhas a pore volume of 0.6-1.5 cm³/g, 0.7-1.2 cm³/g, or 0.8-1.0 cm³/g, anda BET surface area of 400-900 m²/g, 450-800 m²/g, or 500-600 m²/g.

An average diameter (e.g., average particle size) of the particle, asused herein, and unless otherwise specifically noted, refers to theaverage linear distance measured from one point on the particle throughthe center of the particle to a point directly across from it. For acircle, an oval, an ellipse, and a multilobe, the term “diameter” refersto the greatest possible distance measured from one point on the shapethrough the center of the shape to a point directly across from it. Forpolygonal shapes, the term “diameter”, as used herein, and unlessotherwise specified, refers to the greatest possible distance measuredfrom a vertex of a polygon through the center of the face to the vertexon the opposite side. The support material used herein may be in theform of particles (e.g. mesoporous silica particles, zirconium modifiedmesoporous silica particles). In one embodiment, the support material isin the form of particles having an average particle size of 0.01-5 μm,0.05-4 μm, 0.1-3 μm, 0.2-2, or 0.4-1 μm.

As used herein, “disposed on” describes catalytic materials beingdeposited on or impregnated in a support material such that the supportmaterial is completely or partially filled throughout, saturated,permeated, and/or infused with the catalytic materials. The catalyticmaterials (i.e. nickel and molybdenum sulfides) may be affixed tosupport material (e.g. mesoporous silica, zirconium modified mesoporoussilica) in any reasonable manner, such as physisorption, chemisorption,or mixtures thereof. In a related embodiment, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst of the present disclosure may have bothnickel and molybdenum sulfides decorated on the surface of the supportmaterial (e.g. mesoporous silica, zirconium modified mesoporous silica).In another related embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalystmay have both nickel and molybdenum sulfides disposed on the surface andimpregnated in the support material.

In preferred embodiments, the nickel and molybdenum sulfides arehomogeneously distributed throughout the support material. The nickeland molybdenum species and their distributions on the support materialmay be identified by techniques including, but not limited to, UV-visspectroscopy, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, AFM (atomic force microscope),TEM (transmission electron microscopy), and EPR (electron paramagneticresonance). In one embodiment, greater than 10% of the surface area(i.e. surface and pore spaces) of the support material (e.g. mesoporoussilica, zirconium modified mesoporous silica) is covered by the nickeland molybdenum sulfides, preferably greater than 15%, preferably greaterthan 20%, preferably greater than 25%, preferably greater than 30%,preferably greater than 35%, preferably greater than 40%, preferablygreater than 45%, preferably greater than 50%, preferably greater than55%, preferably greater than 60%, preferably greater than 65%,preferably greater than 70%, preferably greater than 75%, preferablygreater than 80%, preferably greater than 85%, preferably greater than90%, preferably greater than 95%, preferably greater than 96%,preferably greater than 97%, preferably greater than 98%, preferablygreater than 99% of the support material is covered by the nickel andmolybdenum sulfides.

In one or more embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalystdisclosed herein has a Mo content in a range of 8-20%, preferably 9-18%,preferably 10-16%, preferably 11-15%, preferably 12-14%, or about 13% byweight relative to a total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst. However, in certain embodiments, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Mo content that is less than 8% orgreater than 20% by weight relative to a total weight of the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst. Preferably, molybdenum is present in theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in sulfide forms (e.g. MoS₂, MoS₃).However, in certain embodiments, molybdenum may be present in otherspecies such as metallic molybdenum and oxide forms (e.g. MoO₂, MoO₃) inthe NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in addition to, or in lieu ofmolybdenum sulfides.

In one or more embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst hasa Ni content in a range of 0.8-8%, preferably 1-6%, preferably 1.5-5%,preferably 2-4%, preferably 2.5-3.5%, or about 3% by weight relative toa total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst. However, incertain embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Nicontent that is less than 0.8% or greater than 8% by weight relative toa total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst. In a relatedembodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Mo:Ni weightratio of 2:1 to 9:1, preferably 3:1 to 7:1, more preferably 4:1 to 5:1,or about 13:3. In certain embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst has a Mo:Ni weight ratio that is less than 2:1 or greater than9:1. Preferably, nickel is present in the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst in sulfide forms (e.g. NiS, Ni₂S₃). However, in certainembodiments, nickel may be present in other species such as metallicnickel and oxide forms (e.g. NiO, Ni₂O₃) in the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst in addition to, or in lieu of nickelsulfides.

The NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst may be in the form of particleswith an average diameter in a range of 0.1-10 μm, 0.5-5 μm, 1-4 μm, or2-3 μm. In a preferred embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst particles are monodisperse, having a coefficient of variationor relative standard deviation, expressed as a percentage and defined asthe ratio of the particle diameter standard deviation (σ) to theparticle diameter mean (μ), multiplied by 100%, of less than 25%,preferably less than 10%, preferably less than 8%, preferably less than6%, preferably less than 5%. In a preferred embodiment, the catalystparticles are monodisperse having a particle size distribution rangingfrom 80% of the average particle size (e.g. diameter) to 120% of theaverage particle size, preferably 85-115%, preferably 90-110% of theaverage particle size. In another embodiment, the catalyst particles arenot monodisperse.

The NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst particles may be agglomerated ornon-agglomerated (i.e., the particles are well separated from oneanother and do not form clusters). In some embodiments, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst particles may cluster and formagglomerates having an average diameter in a range of 2-25 μm, 4-15 μm,or 5-10 μm.

In one or more embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst hasa BET surface area of 350-500 m²/g, preferably 370-480 m²/g, preferably390-460 m²/g, preferably 400-450 m²/g, preferably 410-440 m²/g,preferably 420-430 m²/g. In one embodiment, when SBA-15 is used as thesupport material, the catalyst has a BET surface area of 400-500 m²/g,410-450 m²/g, 420-440 m²/g, or about 425 m²/g. In another embodiment,when zirconium modified SBA-15 is used as the support material, thecatalyst has a BET surface area of 350-410 m²/g, 370-400 m²/g, 380-395m²/g, or about 390 m²/g.

Preferably, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst is mesoporous. In arelated embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has anaverage pore size of 3-7 nm, 4-6.5 nm, 4.5-6 nm, or 5-5.5 nm. In oneembodiment, when SBA-15 is used as the support material, the catalysthas an average pore size of 3-6.3 nm, 5-6.2 nm, or about 6.1 nm. Inanother embodiment, when zirconium modified SBA-15 is used as thesupport material, the catalyst has an average pore size of 4.5-7 nm,5-6.5 nm, or about 6.4 nm. In another related embodiment, the Ni/Mohydrodesulfurization catalyst has a total pore volume of 0.52-0.9 cm³/g,0.54-0.8 cm³/g, 0.56-0.7 cm³/g, or 0.58-0.68 cm³/g.

In one or more embodiments, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst ofthe present disclosure has a BET surface area that is 10-50% greater,preferably 15-40% greater, more preferably 20-30% greater than asubstantially similar catalyst not formed by the above-described methodinvolving a single-step calcination and reduction (i.e. single-stepcalcination and reduction method). Here, the substantially similarcatalyst not formed by the single-step calcination and reduction methodrefers to a catalyst having nickel and molybdenum sulfides each presentin relative weight percentages substantially similar to those in thecurrently disclosed catalyst, which are prepared via a process involvingtwo or more calcination steps performed at a temperature at 300° C. orabove (e.g. catalysts prepared by method (1) described in Example 2).

In a related embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst of thepresent disclosure has an average pore size that is 8-30% smaller,preferably 10-20% smaller, more preferably 12-15% smaller than asubstantially similar catalyst not formed by the single-step calcinationand reduction method. In another related embodiment, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst of the present disclosure has a total porevolume that is 10-40% greater, preferably 15-30% greater, morepreferably 20-25% greater than a substantially similar catalyst notformed by the single-step calcination and reduction method.

The NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst of the present disclosure maypreferably be rod-like, spherical, or substantially spherical (e.g.,oval or oblong shape). In other embodiments, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst can be of any shape that provides desiredcatalytic activity and stability of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst. For example, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst may be ina form of at least one shape such as a sphere, a rod, a disc, and aplatelet. In at least one embodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst of the present disclosure is devoid of cubical sheet-shapedparticles, which are found in the aforementioned substantially similarcatalyst not formed by the single-step calcination and reduction method(see FIGS. 7A-D).

The catalytic activity of many sulfides/oxides in various processes isdue to their Lewis and/or Bronsted acidities. A number of techniqueshave been developed for the characterization of acid-base surfaceproperties of catalysts. The adsorption of volatile amines including,but not limited to, ammonia (NH₃), pyridine (C₅H₅N), n-butylamine(CH₃CH₂CH₂CH₂NH₂), quinoline (C₉H₇N) and the like is often used todetermine the acid site concentration of solid catalysts. The amount ofthe base remaining on the surface after evacuation is consideredchemisorbed and serves as a measure of the acid site concentration. Theadsorbed base concentration as a function of evacuation temperature cangive a site strength distribution. Similarly, the basic siteconcentration of solid catalysts may be investigated using CO₂ as thestandard probe molecule. Another means of determining the site strengthdistribution is calorimetry or the temperature-programmed desorption(TPD). Ammonia TPD (NH₃-TPD) and CO₂-TPD experiments are used todetermine the total acidity and basicity of the catalyst, respectively.TPD can further give an idea about metal-support interactions bymodeling NH₃ and CO₂ desorption kinetics and be used to determine thestrength of acid and basic sites available on the catalyst surface.

In one embodiment, the acidity of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst of the present disclosure is quantified usingtemperature-programmed desorption (TPD), preferably ammonia TPD. In oneembodiment, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a total acidityin the range of 0.3-0.8 mmol of NH₃ per gram of catalyst, preferably0.34-0.7 mmol of NH₃ per gram of catalyst, preferably 0.4-0.65 mmol ofNH₃ per gram of catalyst, preferably 0.5-0.6 mmol of NH₃ per gram ofcatalyst when measured at a temperature of 150-500° C., 200-400° C., or250-350° C. (see Table 2 of Example 9). In a related embodiment, theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst having SBA-15 as the supportmaterial has a total acidity that is 30-75% greater, preferably 40-65%greater, more preferably 45-50% greater than that of the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst having zirconium modified SBA-15 as thesupport material. In another related embodiment, the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst of the present disclosure has a totalacidity that is 8-75% greater, preferably 15-50% greater, morepreferably 25-40% greater than a substantially similar catalyst notformed by the single-step calcination and reduction method.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a methodfor desulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a sulfur-containingcompound. The method involves the steps of contacting the hydrocarbonfeedstock with a NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence ofH₂ gas to convert at least a portion of the sulfur-containing compoundinto a mixture of H₂S and a desulfurized product, and removing H₂S fromthe mixture thereby forming a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream. The NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst used herein may have similar properties asdescribed for that in the first aspect, such as composition, surfacearea, pore size, pore volume, and/or some other property. The NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst with similar properties may be formedusing the aforementioned single-step calcination method by followingpreviously specified reaction conditions, such as reagents, solvent,reaction time, calcination temperature and/or drying temperature.

Preferably, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst used herein containsnickel sulfide and molybdenum sulfide disposed on a support materialcomprising a zirconium modified mesoporous silica with a Si:Zr weightratio of 5:1 to 20:1, preferably 7:1 to 15:1, more preferably 9:1 to12:1, or about 10:1. Alternatively, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst used herein contains nickel sulfide and molybdenum sulfidedisposed on a support material comprising mesoporous silica (e.g.SBA-15). Preferably, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst used hereinhas a Mo content in a range of 8-20%, preferably 9-18%, preferably10-16%, preferably 11-15%, preferably 12-14%, or about 13% by weightrelative to a total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst.Preferably, the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Ni content ina range of 0.8-8%, preferably 1-6%, preferably 1.5-5%, preferably 2-4%,preferably 2.5-3.5%, or about 3% by weight relative to a total weight ofthe NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst. The NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst may have a Mo:Ni weight ratio of 2:1 to 9:1, preferably 3:1 to7:1, more preferably 4:1 to 5:1, or about 13:3. The NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst used herein may have a BET surface area of350-500 m²/g, preferably 370-480 m²/g, preferably 390-460 m²/g,preferably 400-450 m²/g, preferably 410-440 m²/g, preferably 420-430m²/g. The NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst used herein may have anaverage pore size of 3-7 nm, 4-6.5 nm, 4.5-6 nm, or 5-5.5 nm. The Ni/Mohydrodesulfurization catalyst used herein may have a total pore volumeof 0.52-0.9 cm³/g, 0.54-0.8 cm³/g, 0.56-0.7 cm³/g, or 0.58-0.68 cm³/g.

The hydrocarbon feedstock may be delivered from a hydrocarbon reservoiror directly from an offshore or an onshore well. For example, thehydrocarbon feedstock may be a crude oil that is produced from an oilwell, particularly from a sour gas oil well. Alternatively, thehydrocarbon feedstock may be a gaseous stream that is supplied directlyfrom an offshore or an onshore well, or a sulfur-containing liquid orgaseous stream, e.g. gaseous ethane, liquid gasoline, liquid naphtha,etc. in a refinery or a petrochemical plant that needs to bedesulfurized.

The hydrocarbon feedstock including a sulfur-containing compound mayalso include various hydrocarbon compounds such as C₁₋₅₀ hydrocarboncompounds, preferably C₂₋₃₀ hydrocarbon compounds, preferably C₃₋₂₀hydrocarbon compounds, depending on the origin of the hydrocarbonfeedstock. In one embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock includes C₁₋₂₀normal paraffins, e.g. C₁₋₂₀ alkanes, C₁₋₂₀ isoparaffins, C₁₋₂₀cycloparaffins (i.e. naphthenes) or C₁₋₂₀ cycloparaffins having sidechain alkyl groups, C₁₋₂₀ aromatics or C₁₋₂₀ aromatics with side chainalkyl groups.

Exemplary sulfur-containing compounds include, but are not limited to,H₂S, elemental sulfur, carbon disulfide, dimethyl disulfide, ethyldisulfide, propyl disulfide, isopropyl disulfide, butyl disulfide,tertiary butyl disulfide, thianaphthene, thiophene, secondary dibutyldisulfide, thiols, methyl mercaptan, phenyl mercaptan, cyclohexythiol,methyl sulfide, ethyl sulfide, propyl sulfide, isopropyl sulfide, butylsulfide, secondary dibutyl sulfide, tertiary butyl sulfide,benzothiophene, dibenzothiophene, alkyl benzothiophene, alkyldibenzothiophene, thiocyclohexane, and/or any combination thereof.

In one or more embodiments, the sulfur-containing compound is at leastone selected from the group consisting of a sulfide, a disulfide, athiophene, a benzothiophene, and a dibenzothiophene. In a preferredembodiment, the sulfur-containing compound is a dibenzothiophenecompound. Exemplary dibenzothiophene compounds include, but are notlimited to, dibenzothiophene, 4-methyldibenzothiophene,4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, and 4,6-diethyldibenzothiophene. In atleast one embodiment, the sulfur-containing compound isdibenzothiophene, 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, or both.

In one or more embodiments, the sulfur-containing compound may bepresent in the hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 0.01-10%,preferably at least 0.05%, at least 0.1%, at least 1%, at least 3%, atleast 5%, at least 6%, at least 7%, at least 8%, at least 9% by weight,and no more than 10% by weight, relative to a total weight of thehydrocarbon feedstock. In a related embodiment, a concentration of thesulfur-containing compound in the hydrocarbon feedstock is no more than50,000 ppm, preferably no more than 20,000 ppm, preferably no more than10,000 ppm, preferably no more than 5,000 ppm, preferably no more than4,000 ppm, preferably no more than 2,000 ppm. Alternatively, aconcentration of sulfur-containing compound in the hydrocarbon feedstockmay be in a range of 100 to 10,000 ppm, preferably 250 to 7,500 ppm,preferably 500 to 5,000 ppm, preferably 750 to 2,500 ppm, preferably1,000 to 2,000 ppm.

The hydrocarbon feedstock may be contacted with the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of H₂ gas under favorablereaction conditions to convert at least a portion of thesulfur-containing compound into a mixture of H₂S and a desulfurizedproduct. In a preferred embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock iscontacted with the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst at a temperaturein a range of 150 to 500° C., preferably 200-450° C., preferably300-400° C., or about 350° C. for 0.1-10 hours, 0.5-8 hours, 1-6 hours,2-5 hours, or 3-4 hours. In one or more embodiments, a pressure of theH₂ gas is in a range of 2 to 10 MPa, preferably 3 to 9 MPa, preferably3.5-8 MPa, preferably 4-7 MPa, preferably 4.5-6 MPa, or about 5 MPa. Avolumetric flow ratio of the H₂ gas to the hydrocarbon feedstock mayvary depending on the type of sulfur-containing compound present in thehydrocarbon feedstock. In some embodiments, the volumetric flow ratio ofthe H₂ gas to the hydrocarbon feedstock is in a range of 100:1 to 1:100,80:1 to 1:80, 50:1 to 1:50, 40:1 to 1:40, or 30:1 to 1:30.

The hydrocarbon feedstock may be in a liquid state or a gaseous state.In view of that, contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst may be different, depending on the stateof the hydrocarbon feedstock, i.e. the liquid state or the gaseousstate. In one embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock is in a liquid stateor in a gaseous state and the hydrocarbon feedstock is passed throughthe NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst via a fixed-bed or afluidized-bed reactor. In another embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstockis in a gaseous state and the hydrocarbon feedstock is passed over theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst, or may stay stagnant over the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst, i.e. as an atmosphere to the catalyst.Yet in another embodiment, the hydrocarbon feedstock is in a liquidstate and the hydrocarbon feedstock is mixed with the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst to form a heterogeneous mixture in a batchreactor equipped with a rotary agitator.

In one embodiment, the contacting converts by weight 40-99.8%,preferably at least 45%, preferably at least 50%, preferably at least55%, preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 65%, preferably atleast 70%, preferably at least 75%, preferably at least 80%, preferablyat least 85%, preferably at least 90%, preferably at least 95%,preferably at least 99% of the sulfur-containing compound present in thehydrocarbon feedstock into a mixture of H₂S and a desulfurized product.The method disclosed herein may include removing the H₂S from themixture in the presence of an inert gas (e.g. nitrogen) stream to form adesulfurized hydrocarbon stream. “Removing”, as used herein, may referto any process of separating, at least one component from a mixture.Exemplary removing processes include, but are not limited to,distillation, absorption, adsorption, solvent extraction, stripping, andfiltration and are well known to those skilled in the art. The removedH₂S may be collected and further supplied to a sulfur manufacturingplant to produce sulfur-containing products.

In one or more embodiments, the sulfur content of the desulfurizedhydrocarbon stream is by weight 40-99.8%, preferably at least 45%,preferably at least 50%, preferably at least 55%, preferably at least60%, preferably at least 65%, preferably at least 70%, preferably atleast 75%, preferably at least 80%, preferably at least 85%, preferablyat least 90%, preferably at least 95%, preferably at least 99% by weightless than that of the hydrocarbon feedstock prior to the contacting.

It is worth noting that the presently disclosed NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst that is made via the presently disclosedsingle-step calcination and reduction method demonstrates greatercatalytic activity than a substantially similar catalyst having nickeland molybdenum sulfides each present in relative weight percentagessubstantially similar to those in the currently disclosed catalyst,which are prepared via a process involving two or more calcination stepsperformed at a temperature at 300° C. or above (e.g. catalysts preparedby method (1) described in Example 2). In one embodiment, the sulfurcontent of the desulfurized hydrocarbon stream of a desulfurizationprocess catalyzed by the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst is at least40% by weight less than that of a desulfurization process catalyzed by asubstantially similar catalyst under substantially identical conditions(e.g. temperature, pressure, time), preferably at least 50%, preferablyat least 60%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 75%,preferably at least 80% by weight less than that of a desulfurizationprocess catalyzed by a substantially similar catalyst undersubstantially identical conditions (see Table 3 of Example 13).

The examples below are intended to further illustrate protocols forpreparing, characterizing the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalysts, anduses thereof, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Example 1 Reagents and Chemicals

Tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) (99%), pluronic P123 PEO₂₀—PPO₇₀-PEO₂₀triblock copolymer, nickel nitrate hexahydrate (99%), zirconium(IV)isopropoxide (70 wt. % in 1-propanol) used as silica source, structuraldirecting agent, nickel and zirconium sources, respectively, werepurchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Ammonium molybdate(VI) tetrahydrate (99%)from ACROS was used as molybdenum source. Analytical de-ionized (DI) H₂Oused for synthesis and preparation was produced in-house by ThermoScientific Barnstead NANOPURE after distillation with a LabstrongFiSTREEM™ II 2S Glass Still distiller.

Example 2 Synthesis of NiMo Supported SBA-15 and Zr-SBA-15

HDS NiMo supported (Zr)SBA-15 catalysts were synthesized via twodifferent methods: method (1) by direct incorporation of Mo with orwithout Zr into hexagonal framework of SBA-15, followed by impregnationof Ni in the final step after calcination of (Zr)-SBA-15-Mo, or method(2) by impregnation of Ni without calcination of (Zr)-SBA-15-Mo.

For method (1): (Zr)SBA-15-Mo/Ni, the synthesis procedures requireddissolution of surfactant (2 g P123) in 60 g of (2M) HCl and 15 g ofde-ionized water at 40° C., followed by addition of TEOS (4.2 g) orsimultaneous addition of TEOS (4.2 g) and Zr-isopropoxide to acontinuous stirring mixture, and mixed together for 16 h. Ammoniummolybdate(VI) tetrahydrate was added to above mixture and allowed tostir for additional 3 h, before being transferred into a stainless steelautoclave for hydrothermal operation at 80° C. for 24 h. The solidobtained was centrifuged and dried for 12 h at 100° C., followed bycalcination at 300° C. for 6 h. The nickel was introduced via excesssolution impregnation, and the solution was allowed to dry gradually at60° C. for 6 h. The final solid sample was further dried at 110° C. for12 h without further calcination prior to sulfidation. The catalystsprepared were denoted as “SMN” and “ZrSMN” for the first synthesisapproach.

For method (2): (Zr)SBA-15-Mo—Ni, the synthesis strategy was similar tothe above except that the introduction of nickel was done without priorcalcination of Zr(SBA)-15-Mo after drying for 12 h and no calcinationwas done prior to reduction and sulfidation step. The catalysts preparedwere denoted as “SMN-R” and “ZrSMN-R” for one-step calcination andreduction approach.

Example 3 Characterization of HDS Catalysts

Catalysts in oxide and sulfided-form were characterized by differenttechniques. N₂-physisorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, pyridineFourier transform infrared (Pyr-FTIR), diffusion reflectancespectroscopy (DRS), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy (XPS), temperature programmed desorption (TPD) andreduction (TPR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and HRTEM.

The porosity and specific surface area analysis of catalysts weredetermined by Micromeritics ASAP 2020 unit. Samples were degassed priorto analysis under vacuum to remove the physisorbed moisture andimpurities at 250° C. for 180 minutes. The crystallinity of active phasewas examined by wide angle X-ray diffraction (Rigaku XRD Miniflex usingCuKα radiation (λ=1.5406 Å) at 3° C./min scan rate of 0.03 width. Thelaser Raman spectroscopy (LRS) was performed by HORIBA, iHR320 with CCDdetector at 532 nm (300 mW) to support the crystallinity and/ordispersion of the catalysts observed from XRD. LRS was also used toobserve the mode of vibrations due to interactions between the supportand active species of catalysts prepared by different methods. The typeof acidity with respect to Lewis and Bronsted was determined by FTIRspectroscopy absorption of pyridine on self-supported wafer placed inSpecac cell adapted to Thermo-Scientific Nicolet 6700 spectrometer. Thesamples were pretreated under vacuum (1.33×10⁻³ Pa) at 350° C. for 1 h,followed by adsorption of pyridine vapor at 150° C. for 30 min. Theweakly bonded pyridine was evacuated for 15 min prior to aciditymeasurement and the spectra were recorded after degassing at 200° C. tomeasure total acidity due to Lewis and Bronsted acid sites.

Surface acidity characteristics of the catalysts was performed bytemperature programmed desorption (TPD) on a Micromeritics Chemisorb2750, using 10 wt % NH₃ diluted in He as a probe molecule. Approximately100 mg of sample was treated in constant flow of Helium at 600° C. forhalf-hour, followed by cooling to 100° C. before adsorbing diluted NH₃(10%—NH₃/He) on the catalyst at 25 mL/min for 30 mins. Prior todesorption experiment, the physically adsorbed NH₃ was removed bypurging the quartz tube containing the catalyst with He for 60 mins. Thesystem was heated to 1000° C. at 10° C./min, with the thermogramrecorded on a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) using TPx software fordata analysis.

The elemental composition of the bulk catalysts was determined andcalculated by SPECTRO XEPOS energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence(ED-XRF) spectrometer (AMETEK, Materials analysis division) equippedwith AMECARE M2M. Morphology of catalysts with respect to methods ofpreparation was examined on scanning electron microscope (SEM) (TESCANLYRA 3, Czech Republic), equipped with an energy-dispersive X-rayspectrometer (EDS, Oxford, Inc.) detector for elemental analysis. TheSEM was operated at an accelerating voltage of 30 kV, using secondaryelectron (SE) and backscattered electron (BSE) modes.

Example 4 Reduction and Sulfidation of NiMo-Oxide Catalysts

Oxide phase HDS catalyst was transformed to active sulfided NiMo phaseby treatment with 2 wt % CS₂ in cyclohexane at 350° C. for 4 h. Prior tothis step, pelletized catalyst (300-500 microns) was reduced in a streamof 10% H₂/Ar mixture at 50 mL/min for 150 min at 400° C. and then cooledto 350° C. for deposition of sulfur on reduced metal centers for(Zr)SMN. Whilst for (Zr)SMN-R catalysts, calcination and reduction arecombined in a single step before sulfidation as described above.

Example 5 Catalysts Evaluation

The HDS catalytic activity of sulfided catalysts was evaluated in acommercial diesel spiked with 1000 ppm-S of DBT and DMDBT at 350° C. and5 MPa using Parr batch reactor (Parr 4576B). About 300 mg of sulfidedcatalyst was mixed with 100 mL of diesel containing the sulfur additivesat the concentration described above, and stirred at 300 rpmcontinuously for 4 h. Aliquots were taken at 1 h interval after theprocess conditions were achieved and analyzed by gas chromatographsulfur chemiluminiscence detector (GC-SCD) and mass spectrometer (GC-MS)for sulfur content and product distribution, respectively.

Example 6 N₂ Physisorption of the Catalysts

Textural properties such as surface area, pore size, and pore volume ofHDS sulfided catalysts measured by N₂ physisorption are presented inTable 1. The data of physisorption properties of the catalystssynthesized by one step reduction strategy showed a higher specificsurface area (BET method) and total pore volume (BJH method) than thoseof catalysts prepared via the sequential calcination and reductionapproach. However, the average pore diameter of SMN and ZrSMN preparedfrom the sequential calcination and reduction approach was higher thanthat of SMN-R and ZrSMN-R, respectively.

Noticeably, the SMN-R surface area was increased approximately by ca.26% compared to SMN, while the total pore volume was increased by ca.14%. Similarly, the surface area and total pore volume of catalystZrSMN-R were increased by ca. 37% and 23%, respectively, compared toZrSMN. It is worth mentioning that the textural properties obtained forcatalysts without Zr-incorporation (SMN and SMN-R) were higher thancorresponding catalysts with Zr addition (ZrSMN and ZrSMN-R) due toadditional pores and surface blockage by zirconium particles introducedinto the catalyst matrix. As shown in FIG. 1A, the isotherm obtained forthe catalysts is Type IV with H1 hysteresis loop which wascharacteristic of a narrow range of uniform mesopores [M. Thommes, K.Kaneko, A. V. Neimark, J. P. Olivier, F. Rodriguez-Reinoso, J.Rouquerol, K. S. W. Sing, Physisorption of gases, with special referenceto the evaluation of surface area and pore size distribution (IUPACTechnical Report), Pure and Applied Chemistry, 87 (2015) 1051-1069]. Inaddition, the existence of plugged nanoparticles within the mesopores ofSBA-15 as observed from two-step desorption was due to incorporation ofmetal species. The first desorption step was attributed to SBA-15, whilethe second desorption step was due to nanoparticles of NiMoS species andzirconium. The one-step approach preserved a larger surface area thatwould be of great benefit for HDS catalytic activity than conventionalcalcination and reduction strategy.

TABLE 1 Summary of textural properties and pyridine FTIR analysis BETTotal Micropore Average Surface Area Pore Volume Area Pore Size L BCatalyst (m²/g) (cm³/g) (m²/g) (nm) (μmol/g) (μmol/g) B/L SMN 338 0.510.034 7.1 252 88 0.35 ZrSMN 284 0.47 0.025 7.3 261 80 0.31 SMN-R 4250.58 0.024 6.1 284 110 0.39 ZrSMN-R 390 0.58 0.024 6.4 227 122 0.54

Example 7 X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) Analysis

The crystallinity and dispersion analysis of NiMo HDS catalysts in oxideand sulfided form was examined by wide-angle XRD as a function ofdifferent synthesis and heat treatment approaches. Similar to titanium,Zr atoms are capable of incorporating into the silica framework ofmesoporous SBA-15 and aiding the dispersion of HDS active phase [A.Tuel, Modification of mesoporous silicas by incorporation ofheteroelements in the framework, Microporous and mesoporous materials,27 (1999) 151-169, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].Pure orthorhombic molybdena (MoO₃) crystalline X-ray diffractogramconsists of major peaks at 2θ 13, 23.42, 26, 27.52, and 39°corresponding to 020, 110, 040, 021, and 060, respectively, and can beindexed to JCPSD 05-0508 [S. Badoga, R. V. Sharma, A. K. Dalai, J.Adjaye, Hydrotreating of heavy gas oil on mesoporous zirconia supportedNiMo catalyst with EDTA, Fuel, 128 (2014) 30-38, incorporated herein byreference in its entirety]. In addition, the degree of dispersiondeposition of MoO₃ with respect to promoter effect on heteroatomsmodified mesoporous silica can be evaluated by reduction in peakintensity of MoO₃ main phases and/or prevention of NiMo₄ crystalline forsupported HDS catalysts.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and B, the observed diffractograms of the catalystsprepared with the addition of Zr present highly dispersed phase withreflection corresponding to mesoporous silica on wide angle XRD. Thisobservation is an indication of dispersion in supported metal-oxideswith little or no peaks corresponding to metal-oxides deposited [S. A.Ganiyu, S. A. Ali, K. Alhooshani, Synthesis of a Ti-SBA-15-NiMoHydrodesulfurization Catalyst: The Effect of the Hydrothermal SynthesisTemperature of NiMo and Molybdenum Loading on the Catalytic Activity,Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 56 (2017) 5201-5209,incorporated herein by reference in its entirety]. Conversely, thecatalysts without Zr in oxide form show the corresponding phases thatcan be indexed to orthorhombic MoO₃ phases with card no. (JCPSD05-0508), and the catalyst SMN-R prepared by one-step reduction approachshowed slightly better dispersion than SMN catalyst.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the sulfided diffractograms of catalysts givefurther insight into the degree of sulfidation. Both catalysts (SMN-Rand ZrSMN-R) prepared by one step heat treatment strategy showed highdegrees of sulfidation and dispersion of active species due todisappearance of peaks corresponding to MoO₃. Conversely, the catalystsprepared by the sequential calcination and reduction approach showedphases associated with molybdena after sulfidation, and this confirmedthat there were some unconverted molybdenum-oxide species duringsulfidation. Therefore, compared with those prepared by multiple heattreatments, catalysts made via one-step calcination and reductionstrategy possessed more highly dispersed active phases necessary for HDSreaction.

Example 8 Raman Analysis

In addition to mode of vibrations, the dispersion and crystallinity ofmetal oxide supported catalysts could be observed by Laser Ramanspectroscopy (LRS) as a complimentary technique to XRD. The vibrationalmodes of MoO₃ crystalline particles associated with symmetric stretchingof M=0 can be observed at 994 cm⁻¹, while stretching mode of Mo—O—Mo isat 819 and 665 cm⁻¹. Additionally, the terminal Mo═O at 290-280 cm⁻¹corresponds to wagging mode of vibrations, and the characteristicsbending and deformation modes of vibrations of O═Mo=O and O—Mo—O can beassigned to the bands observed at 336 and 375 cm⁻¹, respectively. Asshown in FIGS. 3A and B, the modes of vibrations as described above wereobserved in oxide form of all catalysts. However, the peaks did notappear as sharp and intense as those of complete crystalline MoO₃ phases[M. Dieterle, G. Weinberg, G. Mestl, Raman spectroscopy of molybdenumoxides Part I. Structural characterization of oxygen defects inMoO_(3-x) by DR UV/VIS, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction,Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 4 (2002) 812-821, incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety]. This suggested some degree ofinteraction and dispersion of the active species on the support. Theappearance of peaks at 970 and 355 cm⁻¹ indicated the dominant molybdenaspecies interaction with SBA-15 in form of tetrahedral (Si—O—)₂Mo(═O)₂di-oxo species [K. Amakawa, R. Schlögl, R. Schomäcker, C. Limberg,Active site for propene metathesis in silica-supported molybdenum oxidecatalysts, (2013), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety].However, a larger degree of sulfidation was achieved by one stepreduction strategy either with or without Zr, as observed in sulfidedHDS catalysts (FIG. 3B). This observation agrees with the XRD analysisexplained vide-supra.

Example 9 Temperature Programmed Desorption (TPD)

Correlation between dispersion, support metal interaction, and number ofactive of species of the HDS catalysts can be obtained from temperatureprogrammed desorption analysis using NH₃ as a basic adsorbate. Thenature of the acidity and the interaction of the catalysts' activespecies on the support associated with the desorption of NH₃ can becategorized according to different temperatures as weak (<200° C.),medium (200-350° C.) and strong (>350° C.) acidic centers [S. Badoga, A.K. Dalai, J. Adjaye, Y. Hu, Combined effects of EDTA and heteroatoms(Ti, Zr, and Al) on catalytic activity of SBA-15 supported NiMo catalystfor hydrotreating of heavy gas oil, Industrial & Engineering ChemistryResearch, 53 (2014) 2137-2156]. Table 2 shows that catalysts possessedmedium to strong acidity at different desorption temperatures. Themedium acidity was observed between 210-221° C. for all catalysts exceptSMN-R, which was characterized by two desorption peaks at 358 and 668°C. as shown in FIG. 4 . Interestingly, the incorporation of Zr intoSBA-15 increased the surface acidity of the ZrSMN catalyst compared toSMN when the conventional calcination and reduction was adopted. Thisobservation is in good agreement with previous studies [P. Biswas, P.Narayanasarma, C. M. Kotikalapudi, A. K. Dalai, J. Adjaye,Characterization and activity of ZrO₂ doped SBA-15 supported NiMocatalysts for HDS and HDN of bitumen derived heavy gas oil, Industrial &Engineering Chemistry Research, 50 (2011) 7882-7895]. However, one stepreduction approach showed different results as SMN-R catalyst exhibiteda slightly stronger acidity, and the total amount of surface acidity washigher than other catalysts in the series. Overall, the total surfaceacidities for SMN-R and ZrSMN-R were higher than corresponding SMN andZrSMN. This indicated that the number of active species available andthe dispersion in catalysts made by one step reduction approach washigher than the corresponding catalysts prepared by conventionalsequential calcination and reduction method. This observation wassupported by XRD, Raman and N₂ physisorption showing the presence ofhigh surface area, and small crystallites of active species.

TABLE 2 Temperature programmed desorption by ammonia TPD:NH₃ desorbedPeak Temperature Peak (200- Amount Temperature Amount Total Catalysts350° C.) (mmol/g) (>350° C.) (mmol/g) (mmol/g) SMN 219 0.263 667 0.0040.267 ZeSMN 221 0.306 658 0.004 0.310 SMN-R 357 0.593 668 0.019 0.612ZrSMN-R 210 0.321 699 0.017 0.338

Example 10 FTIR Pyridine

In order to further investigate the surface acidity of the catalysts,the types of acidity were determined by pyridine adsorption usingspectroscopic method. The interaction of pyridine (strong base) withLewis and Bronsted acidic centers can be measured by FTIR usingpyridinium ion peak assignments.

Lewis acid sites generally occur due to coordinatively unsaturatedcations exposed on the surface of ionic metal-oxide, while the Bronstedsites are largely due to surface OH arising from adsorbed water on thesurface of metal oxides [G. Busca, Spectroscopic characterization of theacid properties of metal oxide catalysts, Catalysis today, 41 (1998)191-206]. The Lewis acid gives rise to strong and weak acid sites at(1450 cm⁻¹ and 1610 cm⁻¹) and (575 cm⁻¹), respectively, while Bronstedacids peaks are found at 1542 cm⁻¹ and 1640 cm⁻¹. In addition, there isan overlap of Lewis and Bronsted acid peaks centering at 1492 cm⁻¹ [L.Ding, Z. Zhang, Y. Zheng, Z. Ring, J. Chen, Effect of fluorine and boronmodification on the HDS, HDN and HDA activity of hydrotreatingcatalysts, Applied Catalysis A: General, 301 (2006) 241-250]. Thequantitative amount and peak assignment of Lewis and Bronsted sites foreach catalyst made by different methods of preparation are presented inTable 1 and FIG. 5 , respectively. It has been shown that the catalystsubjected to multiple heat treatments and calcination provided much moreLewis acids than Bronsted acids, due to loss of adsorbed water in thecatalyst to heat. The quantitative amount of Bronsted acid sites presentin SMN-R and ZrSMN-R was greater than their corresponding SMN and ZrSMN.Furthermore, the total acidity due to Lewis and Bronsted acid sitedpossessed by SMN-R and ZrSMN-R was higher compared to their counterparts(SMN and ZrSMN). It was reported that the activity of HDS catalystincreased with increasing total acidity and/or Bronsted-Lewis ratios [D.Zhang, A. Duan, Z. Zhao, C. Xu, Synthesis, characterization, andcatalytic performance of NiMo catalysts supported on hierarchicallyporous Beta-KIT-6 material in the hydrodesulfurization ofdibenzothiophene, Journal of Catalysis, 274 (2010) 273-286].

Example 11 UV-Vis Diffusion Reflectance Spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS)

Absorption bands characteristic of the catalysts were observed in therange of 200-500 nm, which corresponded to Ligand-metal charge transfer(LMCT) assigned to O²⁻Mo⁶⁺. The presence of isolated molybdate speciescould be ascribed to tetrahedral (Td) at absorption band of 250 nm andoctahedral (Oh) coordination at absorption band at 280-330 nm [O. Y.Gutiérrez, D. Valencia, G. A. Fuentes, T. Klimova, Mo and NiMo catalystssupported on SBA-15 modified by grafted ZrO₂ species: Synthesis,characterization and evaluation in 4, 6-dimethyldibenzothiophenehydrodesulfurization, Journal of Catalysis, 249 (2007) 140-153]. It hasbeen established that the position of these bands could be affected bythe particle size of the metal-oxides, which might be blue or redshifted [R. S. Weber, Effect of local structure on the UV-visibleabsorption edges of molybdenum oxide clusters and supported molybdenumoxides, Journal of Catalysis, 151 (1995) 470-474]. As shown in FIG. 6 ,the DRS absorption spectra for SMN and ZrSMN exhibited similar bandscharacterized by the mixture of molybdates in Td and Oh symmetry atabout 250 nm and 310 nm, respectively, while the observed absorptionspectra for SMN-R and ZrSMN-R was characterized by single Oh peak at 280nm. The presence of single absorption band indicated a well dispersedhomogenous active species as compared to two bands for catalystsprepared by conventional calcination and reduction in a sequential way.Therefore, the degree and coordination of Mo composition in a supportedHDS catalyst with respect to dispersion depends on the method of thermaltreatment of the catalyst before sulfidation.

Example 12 Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Analysis

Morphology of a supported catalyst depends on its method of preparation.Mostly, undistorted morphology of SBA-15 or modified-SBA-15 is sphere,fibers, or rods [V. Meynen, P. Cool, E. F. Vansant, Synthesis ofsiliceous materials with micro- and mesoporosity, Microporous andmesoporous materials, 104 (2007) 26-38]. FIGS. 7A-D demonstrate themorphology of the catalysts with variations in their morphologies withrespect to effect of heat treatment and calcination, and addition ofheteroatoms. Similar to pure SBA-15, catalysts SMN and ZrSMN exhibitedshort rod-like morphology. However, there was an observable growth ofnano-cubical flat-sheet morphology alongside with the regular morphologyattributed to SBA-15 in catalyst SMN, which was related to Mo-oxideparticles species as confirmed by EDX analysis (not shown), and asevidenced from XRD crystallinity peak explained vide-supra. The presenceof cubic flat sheet was not observed in the catalyst ZrSMN, and thisjustified that the addition of heteroatoms (Zr) prevented the growth oflarge MoO₃ particles. Furthermore, the observed morphology of SMN-R andZrSMN-R was slightly distorted and fully-grown rods or sphere was notobserved due to absence of calcination after the synthesis and/oraddition of active species in the direct synthesis approach. Inaddition, there was no observable growth of MoO₃ particles for eitherSMN-R or ZrSMN-R in the representative micrographs.

Example 13 Catalytic Activity Results

Catalytic activity of the catalysts was observed for simultaneous HDS ofDBT and DMDBT in commercial diesel as a function of methods ofpreparation and addition of heteroatoms. The reaction was conducted in abatch reactor at 350° C. and 5 MPa using commercial diesel spiked with1000 ppmw-S of DBT and DMDBT as a representative fuel, and the activityof the catalysts were monitored for 4 h. During the first hour, theconversion of DBT for all catalysts was more than 50%, and theconversion of DMDBT for each catalyst was between 37-52%. Thisobservation can be explained in terms of steric hindrance of DMDBT inapproaching catalyst's active sites compared to DBT, which is arelatively small molecule and thus has an easier access to the activesites of the catalyst. Furthermore, the conversion of DBT at the end of4 h reaction time was remarkable (between 95.6 and 99%) for all thecatalysts, while the conversion of DMDBT remained between 64-84%. Table3 shows the equilibrium concentrations of sulfur in the diesel at eachhour interval for DBT and DMDBT obtained from GC-SCD.

TABLE 3 Sulfur content analysis of different catalysts by GC-SCD SulfurContent (ppmw) (DBT) Sulfur Content (ppmw) (DMDBT) Catalysts 1 h 2 h 3 h4 h 1 h 2 h 3 h 4 h SMN 431 130 65 44 630 452 387 356 ZrSMN 395 167 7736 591 418 335 269 SMN-R 243 120 29 10 498 389 246 176 ZrSMN-R 230 11624 12 476 360 218 157

The catalysts' performance can be evaluated at 1 h reaction timeinterval for both organosulfur compounds (DBT and DMDBT). For DBT, thecatalytic conversion under SMN and ZrSMN was 56.9 and 60.5%, while theconversion under SMN-R and ZrSMN-R was 75.5 and 77%, respectively. Itwas observed that the performance of catalysts prepared by addition ofZr was better than their corresponding catalysts without incorporationof Zr into SBA-15 framework. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning thatthe HDS efficiency of the catalysts made by the single-step calcinationand sulfidation strategy was greater than that of the catalystssubjected to the sequential calcination and sulfidation approach.

The catalytic conversion of DMDBT at 1 h reaction time under SMN andZrSMN was 37 and 41%, which was lower compared to 50.2 and 52.4% usingSMN-R and ZrSMN-R, respectively. The influence of Zr-addition to SBA-15and single-step heat treatment strategy was found to be remarkablecompared to catalysts without Zr and with multiple heat treatments. Thesuperiority of Zr-based modified SBA-15 NiMo catalysts can be explainedby higher dispersion of Mo-species in octahedral form and the preventionof agglomeration of Mo-particles that might be resulted from poordispersion due to amorphous nature of the silica support. Also, the lossof catalytic properties such as surface acidity/acid sites and texturalproperties occurred during multiple heat treatments was prevented usingsingle step strategy, thus providing the catalysts with better catalyticperformance as supported by different characterization techniques (BET,XRD, TPD and FTIR-pyridine). Overall, the order of catalyst performanceis: ZrSMN-R>SMN-R>ZrSMN>SMN.

Example 14

A synthesis route involving one-pot incorporation and one-stepcalcination and reduction to prepare sulfided-NiMo catalysts supportedon SBA-15 (un)modified with zirconium is disclosed. NiMoS HDS catalystssupported on SBA-15 unmodified and modified with zirconium weredeveloped by adopting a single-step calcination and reduction strategyprior to sulfidation step, with a view to prevent loss of catalyticproperties and achieve better activity with the aid of greaterdispersion of active species.

NiMoS catalysts obtained showed HDS activity on DBT and DMDBT present incommercial diesel. Physical characteristics and catalytic activity ofNiMoS catalysts were examined by N₂ physisorption, XRD, XPS, XRF, Raman,TGA, TPD and TPR, and DRS. The structure-activity relationship of thesecatalysts was analyzed and their HDS activity on DBT and DMDBT in dieselwas compared with that of catalysts made by the sequential calcinationand reduction approach. The single-step calcination and reductionstrategy afforded catalysts with high specific surface area, surfaceacidity, and metal dispersion, and also minimized the formation ofcrystalline inactive species that were difficult to reduce and sulfide,as revealed by BET, XRD, TPD and pyridine adsorption, UV-Vis DRS and SEMcharacterization techniques. The catalytic efficiency of the catalystsby single-step calcination and reduction strategy is 9-16% and 11-13%higher than conventional heat treatment for HDS of DBT and DMDBT,respectively. This approach is promising in achieving ultra-deep HDS oforganosulfur compounds in transportation fuel at a low cost as well asmeeting the current stringent environmental policy.

1. The method of claim 15, further comprising: forming the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst in a single-step calcination and reductionmethod comprising: mixing a silica source and an aqueous solutioncomprising a structural directing surfactant, an acid, and a molybdenumprecursor to form a first mixture; hydrothermally treating the firstmixture at a temperature in a range of from 50 to 120° C. to form afirst dried mass; mixing a solution comprising a nickel precursor andthe first dried mass to form a second mixture; drying the second mixtureat a temperature in a range of from 40 to 90° C. to form a catalystprecursor; calcining the catalyst precursor in an atmosphere, comprisinga reducing agent comprising H₂, at a temperature in a range of from morethan 350 to 600° C. to concurrently reduce the nickel precursor and forma calcined and reduced catalyst; and sulfiding the calcined and reducedcatalyst with a sulfide-containing solution thereby forming the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst, wherein the first dried mass, the secondmixture, and the catalyst precursor are not calcined prior to thecalcining and are not catalytically active species, wherein the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst has a BET surface area in a range of from350 to 450 m²/g and wherein the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalystcomprises nickel sulfide and molybdenum sulfide disposed on a supportmaterial comprising a mesoporous silica.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the first mixture further comprises a zirconium source, andwherein the support material comprises a zirconium modified mesoporoussilica.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the calcining is performed ata temperature in a range of from greater than 400 to 600° C. for a timein a range of from 0.5 to 8 hours.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein thesulfiding is performed at a temperature in a range of from 250 to 500°C. for a time in a range of from 1 to 10 hours.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the reducing agent is present in an amount in a range of from5 to 20 vol. %, relative to a total volume of the atmosphere.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the reducing agent is H₂.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the sulfide-containing solution comprises CS₂.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the silica source is tetraethoxysilane, andwherein the structural directing surfactant is P123.
 9. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the mesoporous silica is SBA-15.
 10. The method ofclaim 2, wherein the zirconium source is zirconium(IV) isopropoxide. 11.The method of claim 15, wherein the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalysthas a Mo content in a range of from 8 to 20 wt. % and a Ni content in arange of from 1 to 6 wt. %, each relative to a total weight of the NiMoShydrodesulfurization catalyst.
 12. The method of claim 15, wherein thesupport material has a Si:Zr weight ratio in a range of from 5:1 to20:1.
 13. The method of claim 15, wherein the NiMoS hydrodesulfurizationcatalyst has a BET surface area in a range of from 370 to 450 m²/g. 14.The method of claim 15, wherein the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalysthas a total pore volume in a range of from 0.52 to 0.8 cm³/g, and anaverage pore size in a range of from 4 to 7 nm.
 15. A method fordesulfurizing a hydrocarbon feedstock comprising a sulfur-containingcompound, the method comprising: contacting the hydrocarbon feedstockwith a NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst in the presence of H₂ gas toconvert at least a portion of the sulfur-containing compound into amixture of H₂S and a desulfurized product; and removing H₂S from themixture thereby forming a desulfurized hydrocarbon stream, wherein: theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst comprises nickel sulfide andmolybdenum sulfide disposed on a support material comprising a zirconiummodified mesoporous silica with a Si:Zr weight ratio of 5:1 to 20:1; theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a Mo content in a range of 8-20%by weight and a Ni content in a range of 1-6% by weight, each relativeto a total weight of the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst; and theNiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst has a BET surface area of 350-450m²/g, a total pore volume of 0.52-0.8 cm³/g, and an average pore size of4-7 nm.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hydrocarbon feedstock iscontacted with the NiMoS hydrodesulfurization catalyst at a temperatureof 200-500° C. and a pressure of 2-10 MPa for 0.1-10 hours.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the sulfur-containing compound is present inthe hydrocarbon feedstock at a concentration of 0.01-10% by weightrelative to a total weight of the hydrocarbon feedstock.
 18. The methodof claim 15, wherein the sulfur-containing compound is at least oneselected from the group consisting of a sulfide, a disulfide, athiophene, a benzothiophene, and a dibenzothiophene.
 19. The method ofclaim 18, wherein the sulfur-containing compound is dibenzothiophene,4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene, or both.
 20. The method of claim 15,wherein the sulfur content of the desulfurized hydrocarbon stream is50-99% by weight less than that of the hydrocarbon feedstock.